With the COVID-19 pandemic and global lockdown, the world was forced to switch to a work-from-home and social-distance lifestyle. No in-person meetings, no office life, no going-outs, no traveling - that was the reality for March 2020.
And what about business? Did it also stop? For most businesses, the transition period was a real mess. How to run a company remotely? How to hold meetings? There was a massive bunch of things to take care of.
Table of contents
Zoom boomed during the pandemic Why do users prefer Zoom over Google Hangouts or Skype? Top video conferencing apps for remote work Essential features for a Zoom-like app How to make a video conferencing app like Zoom? How much does it cost to make a video messenger app? Summing up
Zoom boomed during the pandemic
Zoom’s success story is an unprecedented example of how a crisis can help you get to the top of the market. The app has become a golden pill for everyone working from home over the last few months.
Photo by Corinne Kutz / Unsplash
Due to the global pandemic events, the total number of downloads has skyrocketed to 2.13 million per day according to the recent stats. To better show how dramatic the change is, let’s look for some older stats.
For example, Zoom had 100+ million active users in 2015. However, in March 2020, things changed in a single day - Zoom became a top video conferencing app for business, education, healthcare, fitness, etc. Now Zoom has 100k+ corporate customers, including Uber, Samsung, and Walmart.
Though there are dozens of web conferencing apps, Zoom shot to fame. The app meets the demands of both major parties - businesses and individuals. While most video chat apps support up to 10 participants, Zoom can easily host up to 1000 participants.
Photo by visuals / Unsplash
Why do users prefer Zoom over Google Hangouts or Skype?
When launched first, there don’t seem any major differences between Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Skype. But is it true? Let’s find out why users choose Zoom.
Easy-to-use interface
Zoom is an easy-to-use application for video conferences. Users don’t need to create accounts or log in to take part in a meeting.
With Zoom, you can use any operating system. It works with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices. You can easily hold meetings with anyone and anytime.
Freemium
With a free Zoom account, you can enjoy 40-minute group calls with up to 100 participants. Need more? You can always upgrade your current plan in a few taps.
Photo by visuals / Unsplash
Frequent updates
Zoom’s team is striving to deliver a bug-free experience. But app updates aren’t always successful. So Zoom responds to all user reports to make the app better and more stable.
Integration
Zoom easily integrates into the apps you’re already using, including Google Calendar and Slack.
Zooming can be fun
During the lockdown, Zoom has become a place for social gatherings. A vast majority of people are hosting birthday parties through Zoom. Also, Zoom has lots of backgrounds to use while video conferencing.
Top video conferencing apps for remote work
### Zoom
Zoom is a cross-platform video conferencing app. It’s quick and easy to set up and use. Along with a free version, Zoom offers several paid plans.
On top of this, users can take advantage of file sharing, a searchable history, and a 10-year archive. Need one-on-one calls? No problem, Zoom can easily turn your 1000-users meeting into a one-on-one session.
Pros Cons
Easy to use
Security issues
Multi-device
Google Meet
Google Meet (Google Hangouts Meet) is a part of the G Suite platform that provides top-class videoconferencing service.
The app was initially developed for business needs. That’s why Google Meet can easily host a large number of users. The app is an improved version of former Google Hangouts. With a new Google Meet, it’s easier to work with external clients and host meetings for multiple users.
It’s necessary to mention that Google Meet is a web app solution. You don’t need to install any software. To minimize the number of drop-outs and ensure the line quality, there is a dedicated dial-in number.
Another key benefit of Google Meet is that it’s a part of a G Suite platform. And it means that Google Meet can easily sync with other G Suite app. The other big advantage is that Google Meet doesn’t require enormous upfront costs for hardware. That makes Google Meet accessible for a business of any size and sphere.
But there is one negative feature to mention; Google Meet works with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozzila Firefox. So if you’re still using your favorite Explorer, you should download and install a new one to use Google Meet.
Pros Cons
G Suite integration
Browser compatibility
Simple and accessible
Low price
Skype
Skype is a video conferencing app from Microsoft. But it’s often underestimated and used for keeping in touch with family and friends. Microsoft cross-platform app can host business meetings up to 50 people.
Skype can also be used in a browser that makes it a flexible chatting app. You can easily invite people without Skype to join in the call via their email address. Also, Sky allows for easy screen sharing. Moreover, you can automatically blur backgrounds to focus on the person speaking.
Need more people on your video call? You can always upgrade Skype, and invite up to 250 participants.
Pros Cons
Cross-platform solution
Browser compatibility
Limit on the number of participants
Live subtitles for your videoconference
Essential features for a Zoom-like app
Video conferencing platforms have become an integral part of business tools. But before creating a videoconferencing or a chatting app for Android, you need to find out what features the app should have. And we’ve made the list of features for creating an app like WhatsApp or Zoom.
Easy registration
Note, registration shouldn’t be obligatory. For example, Zoom doesn’t require registration to take part in a video meeting. Consider adding a login through Facebook or Google Sign-in to ease the process of registration for your new users.
Personal account
Registered users need to manage their personal data and app settings. For example, names, emails, passwords, etc. And if you’re offering paid plans, there should also be a billing section where users can change credit card details or add a new payment method to their account.
Photo by Christin Hume / Unsplash
You cannot build a video chatting app without a contact list, can you? To build a contact list, you need only several parts. You can’t do without the search engine that helps users find other people by nicknames, real names, or position.
Although, you can integrate your contact lists with a user’s phonebook. Google Contacts API is the easiest and the fastest. And don’t forget to ask for permission before accessing the user’s phonebook.
Video and voice calls
Don’t limit your video conferencing app to video calls only. With audio calls, you’ll have more users. Since in-app voice calls are cheaper than cellular ones.
When it comes to video calls, HD quality is a must. And audio should also be clear and loud enough. Of course, it doesn’t 100% depend on your app, but you can at least make everything possible to ensure high-quality video calls.
Group calls
One-on-one calls are great, but they aren’t sufficient for a business video chat app. Let your users organize group conferences and they’ll use your app! That sounds like a success formula for instant messaging app development.
If you’re going to develop a video chat app for business users, support at least 50 users. The more users you can host, the more downloads you’ll get. Remember, your app logic also depends on the number of users. In the case of 1000+ conference participants, get prepared to double your development cost.
Text chat
There are some situations when you cannot make a call. Then a text chat gets your covered. To build a video conferencing app with a text chat, you can use Twilio. It’s an SDK that has everything needed to build a text chat. Twilio is a cross-platform SDK allowing for saving time and resources.
Screen sharing
Screen sharing is important for meetings and team collaboration. Users want to share entire screens or separate app screens during the meeting. Screen sharing makes it really easier to present their ideas.
Photo by XPS / Unsplash
End-to-end encryption
End-to-end encryption means that only a recipient’s device can read a sender’s message. No one can read or access the files when they’re sent. End-to-end encryption will ensure the highest security standard for all your conversation. And security is a crucial factor when it comes to business apps.
Push notifications
Push notifications make sure that users don’t miss anything. They automatically notify users about new messages, missed calls, or any update. For push notifications, you can use either Apple Push Notification or Firebase Cloud Messaging service.
How to make a video conferencing app like Zoom?
Building an app from square one is a multi-step process. Let’s find out the main development steps to create a video chat app like Zoom.
UI/ UX design
When it comes to video conferencing apps, the design comes in the first place. In case, you’re going to build a business-first app, try to keep your app design minimalistic and intuitive.
Tons of buttons and menus can scare off lots of users, especially not so tech-savvy like Millennials. If you’re building a video chat app for users of all ages, make sure that it’ll be easy to use for everyone.
Backend development
The logic of your app server is a foundation for further app development. There are several ways to build the server logic. You can either build it from scratch or use SaaS solutions, like PubNub.
While building the app logic from scratch gives you unmatched flexibility, using a SaaS software solution saves you time as well as finances.
Photo by visuals / Unsplash
Video streaming protocol
WebRTC protocol helps make all the magic happen and transmit live audio or video. The following protocol has everything you need for video streaming, including peering, streaming, and video/ audio codecs. Moreover, WebRTC is also a security protocol for videoconferencing apps.
Tests
No one likes buggy apps. And QAs can help you get rid of them and make sure that every line of the code works as it has to. Did you know that bugs can cause audio-video desync, failures of some features, and data leaks?
At mova.io, we can cover every app development stage from prototyping to QA sessions. Have a great app idea? Contact us .
How much does it cost to make a video messenger app?
That’s the last but not the least part of our guide to Zoom-like app development. How much does it cost to build a video conferencing app? Check the table below 🔽
Note, the following estimates may differ. The price of the project depends on your requirements, time estimates, and platforms you’re going to reach.
Feature
Development time
Cost
Authorization
2 weeks
$3,000
Personal profile
1 week
$2,000
Contact list
1+ weeks
$2,500
Audio calls
2+ weeks
$5,500
Video calls
3+ weeks
$6,000
Text chat
1+ week
$3,000
Push notifications
1 week
$2,000
In-app purchases
2 weeks
$4,500
Design
3-4 weeks
$2,000
Total
~4 months
$30,000+
Developing a Zoom-like app will take up to 4 months and $30k+. If you’re going to reach several mobile operating platforms (for example, iOS and Android), get ready to double your development budget.
Summing up
The recent lockdown situation has forced the world to look for new business tools. And video chat apps have become a golden pill for business meetings in the COVID-19 world when everyone was locked in their homes.
It's high time to take the bull by the horns, and create an app for video conferences with Mova.io.
Have a question? Just write to us at:
📮 mail@mova.io
